1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to a Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) socket connector for electrically interconnecting an electronic package, for example a Central Processing Unit (CPU), with a printed circuit board, for example a mother board.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, two drawing figures adapted from U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,725, an electrical contact 14 to be used in a ZIF socket connector (not shown) is disclosed. The electrical contact 14 includes two parallel, vertical arms 106 and 108. Channel-shaped strap 110 joins the two arms adjacent their lower ends 112 and spaces them apart. The width of the arms 106 and 108 decrease uniformly upwardly towards their upper ends 116. A pair of fingers 118 project laterally from their attachment to upper ends 116 of the arms 106 and 108. First sections 120 of the fingers 118 converge toward each other. Free ends 122, attached to and extending outward from the converging sections 120, are parallel to each other and are spaced apart by a distance less than the minimum diameter of pins (or leads, not shown) on an electronic package (not shown) to reliably and electrically connect with the pins when engaged. A lead 124 extends downwardly from the arm 106.
The contacts 14 are stamped out of coplanar stock in a continuous strip. Referring to FIG. 10, a carrier strip 130 is connected to the electrical contact 14 which has not yet been formed into the FIG. 9 structure. A lateral dimension p is defined between outer ends of the fingers 118 of each electrical contact 14, which determines a maximum lateral dimension of a blanked out electrical contact 14 and a minimal length of material needed to make the electrical contact 14. Since the arms 106, 108 with the fingers 118 are symmetrically configured with respect to each other, as is known to one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art, for providing dual contacting points to the pins of the electronic package to ensure an electrical connection therebetween, the lateral dimension p is at least twice of a lateral dimension pxe2x80x2 of each arm 106, 108 defined between a center line c of the electrical contact 14 and the outer lateral end of the finger 118 and is comparatively larger than an acceptable data, for example 1.27 millimeter, thereby consuming a large quantity of material in manufacturing and increasing the cost of the electrical contacts 14, which is obviously not economical to contact manufacturers.
Therefore, a ZIF socket connector with a material-saving electrical contact is desired.
A major object of the present invention is to provide a cost effective electrical contact for a ZIF socket connector which provides also a reliable electrical connection between an electronic package and a printed circuit board.
A ZIF socket connector in accordance with the present invention comprises a base, a cover, an actuator and a plurality of electrical contacts. The cover is assembled to the base and is actuated by the actuator to be movable with respect to the base. The electrical contacts are received in the base. Each electrical contact comprises a retention portion, a solder portion extending from the retention portion, a first arm and a second arm extending beside the first arm. The first arm comprises a beam section extending from the retention portion, a curved section and a free end extending from the curved section toward the second arm. The second arm comprises a leg section and a curved contacting section extending from the leg section toward the first arm. The curved contacting section is aligned with the free end to cooperatively secure therebetween and electrically contact a pin of an electronic package received on the cover.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.